The disclosure relates generally to virtual monitoring of loads, and more specifically, to extracting meaningful and reliable load information from a fleet and corresponding fleet database to realize maintenance benefits.
Generally, load monitoring through either measurement by physical sensor(s) or virtual monitoring of loads, using load estimation and validation methods, are enabling technologies in structural design, flight control, and fleet management. However, loads monitoring, especially virtual monitoring of loads, has yet to be leveraged in downstream processes to provide real value, while maintaining safety and reliability, to original equipment manufacturers, customers, and operators. The lack of effectively leveraged load monitoring by physical sensors is indicative of perceived difficulties, increased weight, and reliability issues associated with deploying the many physical sensors that would be required to monitor all such local loads, especially in rotor systems. Effectively leveraged virtually monitoring of loads in downstream processes has also been inhibited by perceived difficulties such as insufficient accuracy of these methods.